Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Given New $250.00 Price Target at Argus

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) had its price objective hoisted by analysts at Argus from $230.00 to $250.00 in a report released on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the specialty retailer’s stock. Argus’ target price would indicate a potential upside of 12.66% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on WSM. Telsey Advisory Group set a $260.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and issued a $261.00 target price (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, August 24th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $247.00 target price (up from $190.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $275.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Barclays set a $190.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $245.56.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

WSM stock opened at $221.91 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $233.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $208.56. The stock has a market cap of $26.14 billion, a PE ratio of 22.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.47. Williams-Sonoma has a one year low of $165.51 and a one year high of $254.89.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.73% and a return on equity of 53.48%. The company had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.93 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.00 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma will post 9.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at $4,962,117.33. The trade was a 4.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 3,156 shares of company stock valued at $738,699 in the last 90 days. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Williams-Sonoma

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WSM. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 21,796.7% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 36,913,716 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $8,604,587,000 after purchasing an additional 36,745,135 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth about $2,656,062,000. Aristotle Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 22.0% in the first quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 11,140,471 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $2,031,242,000 after purchasing an additional 2,009,032 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 2.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,139,477 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,199,961,000 after purchasing an additional 147,780 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 9.2% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,664,580 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $485,833,000 after purchasing an additional 224,128 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Company Profile

Williams‑Sonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on the home and culinary markets, best known for premium cookware, kitchen tools and home furnishings. The company traces its roots to a single cookware store founded by Chuck Williams in 1956 in Sonoma, California, and has evolved into a multi‑brand home furnishings and housewares business. Its merchandise mix spans cookware and kitchen electrics, tabletop and food prep items, furniture, bedding, lighting and decorative accessories designed for both everyday use and higher‑end interiors.

The company operates a portfolio of consumer brands that target distinct segments of the home market.